Kite, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Kite · Johnson County, Georgia
Population 221 (est. 2026: ~100)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -14.93% annual growth projection

Kite, Georgia

Johnson County, Georgia · Population 160

Kite sits near the geographic center of Johnson County in the Oconee River country of east-central Georgia, about 50 miles west of Savannah's outer suburbs and roughly 70 miles southeast of Macon. With a population of 160, it is one of the smallest incorporated places in the state — a single-stoplight kind of town surrounded by tobacco fields, timber tracts, and the quiet rhythms of rural Middle Georgia. Wrightsville, the Johnson County seat, is just a few miles down the road and handles most of the county's commercial and government activity. Kite's identity is less about what it offers and more about what it is: a stable, deeply rooted community where most residents have lived for decades and where a median age of 66 confirms that this is a town that has aged in place.

People & Demographics

The ACS 2022 estimates put Kite's population at 199, with 95 occupied households and an average household size of 2.09. The community is predominantly white (164 residents), with 14 Black residents and 18 Hispanic or Latino residents. Only 29 residents are under 18 — a figure that reflects both the older age profile and the broader pattern of rural youth outmigration common across Johnson County and similar Georgia counties.

The median age of 66.0 stands well above Georgia's statewide median, which hovers in the mid-30s. This is not a young family town. Of 57 family households, the majority are likely empty-nesters or retirees. Johnson County itself has a population of 9,189, meaning Kite holds roughly 2 percent of the county's total residents.

Economy & Employment

The numbers here are stark. Median household income in Kite is $28,906 — less than half Georgia's statewide median household income. Per capita income is $26,897. Of 199 residents, 58 fall below the federal poverty line, a poverty rate exceeding 29 percent.

Only 35 residents are counted as being in the labor force, and the reported unemployment count is zero — likely a reflection of a small sample rather than full employment, given the income figures. Seven of those 35 workers work from home. The economy of the surrounding county runs on agriculture, light manufacturing, and government employment in Wrightsville; most Kite residents who work are commuting to those jobs or to larger centers further out.

Housing

Kite has 125 total housing units, of which 95 are occupied and 30 sit vacant — a vacancy rate of 24 percent, high by any standard and consistent with rural depopulation trends across east Georgia. Of occupied units, 67 are owner-occupied and 28 are renter-occupied.

Median rent runs $534 per month, which is low even by rural Georgia standards and reflects both the modest housing stock and the income levels of renters here. The median home value data is not available from the ACS for this geography. Given the income profile and the vacancy rate, housing in Kite is accessible in terms of price but subject to the quality and maintenance challenges common in high-vacancy small towns.

Schools

Kite children attend Johnson County Schools, a consolidated district serving the entire county from facilities in Wrightsville:

There are no schools physically located within Kite. Bus service to Wrightsville is the standard arrangement for K–12 students.

Getting Around

Every commuting worker in Kite depends on a car. Of 35 total workers, 24 drive alone and 3 carpool. No one uses public transit, and no one walks to work. Seven work from home. With aggregate commute time of 780 minutes across the working population, average one-way travel time runs roughly 22 minutes — consistent with a pattern of driving to Wrightsville or to employers along the US-221 corridor.

There is no fixed-route public transit serving Kite.

Healthcare

No hospitals are located in Kite. Johnson County is served primarily by Meadows Regional Medical Center in Vidalia (Emanuel County line area) and facilities in Dublin, both roughly 30–40 minutes from Wrightsville. Residents should plan for distance when accessing specialty or emergency care.

For current provider listings in Kite, the CMS NPI Registry can be queried directly: Search NPI Registry for Kite, GA.

Library

The Harlie Fulford Memorial Library serves Kite residents and is located approximately 0.5 miles from the town center. Phone: (478) 864-3940. It is part of the public library network serving Johnson County and functions as a key community resource in a county where the next nearest library system is a significant drive away.

Natural Hazards

Johnson County has been hit repeatedly and is one of the more frequently declared counties in rural Georgia. FEMA declarations on record:

Tropical systems track directly through or near this part of Georgia with regularity, and the 2024 season — with Debby and Helene both triggering county-level declarations — demonstrates that this is an ongoing and serious exposure, not a historical footnote.

Government & Municipal Code

Kite is an incorporated city operating under Georgia municipal law. The municipal code is published through Municode and available at library.municode.com/ga/kite-city-georgia. No building code is currently adopted for the city, which has practical implications for any construction or renovation work within city limits.

Weather

Current forecasts for Kite are available through the National Weather Service: NWS Forecast for Kite, GA. Active weather alerts can be monitored at alerts.weather.gov. The nearest weather observation station is Wrightsville 0.3 N, located approximately 4.4 miles from Kite.

References

The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)